Austin: A Nobody's Guide
You know the kind of happy feeling you get when there is nothing that can go wrong in your world? When you feel truly content and at ease? That is the kind of feeling I get when I go to Austin, Texas. When I first traveled to Austin, My husband and I were newly dating. I flew out to see him and his family in Houston over Christmas break at the beginning of 2014. From there, he drove me to Austin, which was the equivalent of Narnia to me, and Leander to see where he had grown up. We met with a few of his high school friends, sat around a campfire, and laughed about the most ridiculous things. I felt like I saw a new side of Andrew and opened up the window to all the years of his life before we met. We drove home the next day, still smelling like campfire. Those memories are some of my most cherished because they remind me of the beginning of us together.
In 2015 we traveled to Austin again, this time driving all the way there in a day (it was a long trip). We stayed in New Braunfels, Texas this time. We spent time with friends from school, ate lots of Whataburger, laughed at more ridiculous things, and even took a day to get sunburned and have a blast at Schlitterbahn.
I've been back and forth to Austin many times now, and every time it never ceases to remind me of the first time. It reminds me of young love (okay, we're still young, but hey), carefree days, college, family, friends, and ultimately a time in my life worth reminiscing on.
What is wonderful about Austin now, despite that I live merely 2.5 hours away, is that there are always new things to explore. I've started making the city my own in a way by building a familiarity with her; learning her streets, knowing places to go, where to shop, where to eat. I would say she and I are acquaintances right now, but I hope to get to know her better as time goes on.
On our latest trip to Austin I got to bring my best friend, Abby, along. It was this time that I decided to document what we did there. That being said, understand that I am no Austin expert in any way. I aptly titled this post "a nobody's guide" because when it comes to this, I am just that. However, if you are reading this and you have not yet been to this city, here are some things that I might suggest.
We started our journey as we always do in Leander with a little run on one of my husband's old stomping grounds. After slogging through the heat and getting ourselves nice and sweaty for the rest of the day, we took the scenic route through the hill country as we headed into the city. Having grown up around mountains but now living on one of the flattest places known to man (okay, not really) seeing the rising and falling land always is a welcome sight. On this trip, our meandering on the scenic route eventually led us to one of my favorite places for lunch: Food Heads. If you ever have the chance to visit Austin, this is one of those places you have to try. Their food is not only healthy and fresh, but the setting for your meal is in a refurbished house. It's quaint, cute, and did I mention already the food tastes amazing? I always grab a "Chicken Special" which is "Grilled chicken breast on toasted ciabatta bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado, feta cheese and tarragon mayonnaise."
In 2015 we traveled to Austin again, this time driving all the way there in a day (it was a long trip). We stayed in New Braunfels, Texas this time. We spent time with friends from school, ate lots of Whataburger, laughed at more ridiculous things, and even took a day to get sunburned and have a blast at Schlitterbahn.
I've been back and forth to Austin many times now, and every time it never ceases to remind me of the first time. It reminds me of young love (okay, we're still young, but hey), carefree days, college, family, friends, and ultimately a time in my life worth reminiscing on.
What is wonderful about Austin now, despite that I live merely 2.5 hours away, is that there are always new things to explore. I've started making the city my own in a way by building a familiarity with her; learning her streets, knowing places to go, where to shop, where to eat. I would say she and I are acquaintances right now, but I hope to get to know her better as time goes on.
On our latest trip to Austin I got to bring my best friend, Abby, along. It was this time that I decided to document what we did there. That being said, understand that I am no Austin expert in any way. I aptly titled this post "a nobody's guide" because when it comes to this, I am just that. However, if you are reading this and you have not yet been to this city, here are some things that I might suggest.
We started our journey as we always do in Leander with a little run on one of my husband's old stomping grounds. After slogging through the heat and getting ourselves nice and sweaty for the rest of the day, we took the scenic route through the hill country as we headed into the city. Having grown up around mountains but now living on one of the flattest places known to man (okay, not really) seeing the rising and falling land always is a welcome sight. On this trip, our meandering on the scenic route eventually led us to one of my favorite places for lunch: Food Heads. If you ever have the chance to visit Austin, this is one of those places you have to try. Their food is not only healthy and fresh, but the setting for your meal is in a refurbished house. It's quaint, cute, and did I mention already the food tastes amazing? I always grab a "Chicken Special" which is "Grilled chicken breast on toasted ciabatta bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado, feta cheese and tarragon mayonnaise."
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After you are good and full, you can take a little walk a couple blocks down the road and find yourself at a shop called The Burlap Bag. If you're like me and like quirky gifts, cards, and other random items, this is the place for you. The Burlap Bag carries an assortment of locally made goods, from jewelry, to pins, to cards, to art, and everything in between. They also carry these wonderfully scented soy candles with the greatest names like "unicorn puke" or "lazy Susan." I bought the "hippie scent" and I swear, it is a small candle, but it is mighty. Our room always smells amazing in no time at all. If you're ever in Austin, you'll have to stop by, plus, you can support local business in doing it, what is better than that? You can also check out their website online at http://www.theburlapbag.com/ (If you don't want to go for the goods, go to see the cutest family photo).
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Onward and upward, we made our way to the top of Mount Bonnell. Now I know what you are thinking, "is this a real mountain?" and my answer to you would be, "do you live near the Rockies?" because if that is the case, the answer is definitely a "no," but its still neat spot to check out. Once you reach the top, you can admire the views of the lake on one side and the city on the other.
After admiring the views for awhile, we made our way into the city again to Zilker Park in Austin. It was P A C K E D. There were people and dogs everywhere; yet, we managed to find a quiet spot off the beaten path to sit by the water of the Colorado River. It was a refreshing moment. When we decided to continue on, we walked around the path at the park, taking in the views of the city looming above and all the wildlife there, mostly birds and turtles. If it had been sunny, I would have said it was perfect out.
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We concluded the day at Summer Moon coffee, catching up once again with some of Andrew's old friends before heading on on our way. If you're the kind of person who likes milk and sugar with your coffee, this is the place for you. They have their own signature "moon milk" that is wonderfully sweet. In addition, they wood fire roast their beans to perfection.
Overall, there is so much to do in Austin, so many places to explore, and so many memories to be made, don't let anyone's guide (especially mine) stop you from making your own adventure. |
